"I must agree with some things you say such as citizens being more responsible. But understand, if these clinics are not funded, the people who need the services will then go to emergency rooms. An emergency room visit is 5x that of going to a clinic. So, you and I will pay more. You mentiioned telling the people to "educate themselves," easier said then done. For decades the public school system in N.O. has been subpar at best. Fortunately since Katrina and the creation of charter school, our kids will have a better opportunity to achieve a good education. I'll be the first to say we need to revamp many of our social services. But before we do that, we need to revamp our political system. Millions of dollars are stolen or misappropriated each year by those we vote into office. Corruption is what's killing this city, not the crumbs left for the impoverished and disenfranchised. Check out the recent report on the CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad."